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Unless the context indicates otherwise, the meaning of terms used in this chapter are as follows:
1. “Billing agency” means the City of Ankeny Finance Department or any other agency designated by the City to maintain utility customer accounts, read meters, prepare and mail bills or other correspondence, and account for utility payments.
(Ord. 1798 – Apr. 14 Supp.)
2. “EPA” means the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
3. “Operation and maintenance” means all expenditures during the useful life of the wastewater treatment works for materials, labor, utilities, and other items which are necessary for the management and maintenance of said treatment facilities to achieve the capacity and performance for which such works were designed and constructed.
4. “Replacement” means expenditures for obtaining and installing equipment, accessories or appurtenances which are necessary during the useful life of the wastewater treatment works to maintain the capacity and performance for which such facilities were designed and constructed. The term “operation and maintenance” includes replacement.
5. “Residential customer” means any customer whose lot, parcel of real estate or building is used for domestic dwelling purposes only.
6. “Service availability charge” means a fixed charge imposed on each separately metered residential, commercial, industrial, or educational premises which is physically connected to the utility, consisting of the equivalent meter cost, based on the water meter size, or the size of a wastewater meter, if installed, plus the billing cost.
7. “Useful life” means the estimated period during which the wastewater treatment works will be operated.
8. “User charge” means that portion of the total wastewater service charge which is levied in a proportional and adequate manner for the cost of operation, maintenance and replacement of the wastewater treatment works.
9. “Wastewater” means the spent water of a community. From the standpoint of source, it may be a combination of the liquid and water-carried wastes from residences, commercial buildings, industrial plants, and institutions, together with any groundwater, surface water, and storm water that may be present. Wastewater is also commonly known as “sanitary sewage.”
10. “Wastewater treatment works” means the devices and systems used for the storage, treatment, recycling and reclamation of municipal wastewater, domestic wastewater, or liquid industrial wastes. These include the collecting lateral, trunk, interceptor and outfall sewer systems, pumping, power and other equipment and appurtenances, extensions, improvement, remodeling, additions and alterations thereof; elements essential to provide a reliable recycled supply such as standby treatment units and clear well facilities; and any works, including site acquisition of the land, that will be an integral part of the treatment process or used for ultimate disposal of residues resulting from such treatment; or any other method or system for preventing, abating, reducing, storing, treatment, separating or disposing of municipal waste or industrial waste, including waste in combined storm water and sanitary sewer systems.
(Ord. 1656 – Apr. 10 Supp.)
11. “Water meter” means a water volume measuring and recording device, furnished and/or installed by the City or furnished and/or installed by a user and approved by the City.
The user charge system shall generate adequate annual revenues to pay: (i) costs of annual operation and maintenance including replacement; and (ii) costs associated with sewer bond retirement for bonds now outstanding including payments to all sinking, revenue, depreciation, extension and improvement funds established in the ordinances or resolutions authorizing such bonds; and (iii) when required, costs associated with sewer bond retirement of bonds to be issued in the future. That portion of the total sewer use charge which is designated for operation and maintenance including replacement of the treatment works shall be established by this chapter.
That portion of the total user charge collected which is designated for operation and maintenance including replacement purposes as established in Section 98.07 shall be deposited in two separate non-lapsing funds, as follows:
1. A fund designated as the “Sewer Fund” for the specific purpose of defraying operation and maintenance costs, excluding replacement, of the wastewater treatment works.
2. A fund designated as the “Sewer Improvement Fund” for the specific purpose of ensuring replacement needs over the useful life of the wastewater treatment works.
Deposits in these two funds shall be made at least annually in amounts to be designated.
Every customer shall pay to the City monthly sewer user fees as hereinafter provided. The total monthly charge shall be the sum of the service availability charge plus the sewer user charge based on actual or average sewer use figures, as determined in Section 98.06.
1. Residential dwellings shall have their quantification of usage based on one of the following:
A. Residential dwellings with no back flow prevention device and/or new construction permitted after January 1, 2020 shall have their quantification of usage based on metered water used during the billing period. If a residential customer has a consumptive use of water, or in some other manner uses water which is not returned to the wastewater collection system, the user charge for that customer may be based on a secondary water meter installed and maintained at the customer's expense and in a manner acceptable to the City.
B. Residential dwellings with a back flow prevention device and/or those desiring "average billing" shall have their quantification of usage based on actual water used during the months of December, January and February with the number of days in each month based on the billing zone. This usage is billed during the months of January, February and March, hereinafter referred to as the "base," with the remaining nine months of the year (April through December) being billed at the average monthly water usage for the most recent annual base period.
In the event the newly established average varies by fifty-one percent from the previously established average, one or more months of the base has zero usage, or the customer is new to the water utility, the base period shall not be used. The monthly user's charge shall be based on the previous year's history or as follows.
(1) A dwelling unit occupied by one person shall have a monthly sewer charge based upon a consumption of 1,600 gallons;
(2) A dwelling unit occupied by two persons shall have a monthly sewer charge based upon a consumption of 3,200 gallons;
(3) A dwelling unit occupied by three persons shall have a monthly sewer charge based upon a consumption of 4,300 gallons;
(4) A dwelling unit occupied by four persons shall have a monthly sewer charge based upon a consumption of 5,400 gallons;
(5) A dwelling unit occupied by more than four persons shall have a monthly sewer charge based upon a consumption of 5,900 gallons.
The sewer use charges set forth above shall be imposed until a "base" period has been established.
C. In the event a residential customer moves from one dwelling to another within the City, the City will determine sewer use charges as established in paragraphs A and B of this section. If the customer desires "average billing" the "base" period which was applicable to the previous residence shall remain in effect until a new "base" period has been established.
D. In the event a residential customer resides or moves to new construction permitted after January 1, 2020 and/or has a secondary water meter, the City will determine sewer use charges as established in paragraph A of this section and "average billing" will not be allowed.
E. A change from actual billing to average billing or from average billing to actual billing may be granted on a one time only per customer basis. This one time bill adjustment will have a maximum period of three months.
2. 2. Industrial, commercial, and multi-unit residential dwellings with more than two units shall have their quantification of usage based on metered water used during the billing period. If a commercial or industrial customer has a consumptive use of water, or in some other manner uses water which is not returned to the wastewater collection system, the user charge for that customer may be based on a secondary water meter installed and maintained at the customer's expense and in a manner acceptable to the City.
(Ord. 2023 - Sep. 20 Supp.)
1. For bills due and payable on or after July 1, 2022, the following rates will apply.
A. Service Availability Charge. There is imposed for each billing period, a service availability charge upon each separately metered residential, commercial, industrial or educational premises, directly or indirectly served by a connection to the sanitary sewer system based on the following:
Meter Size | Meter Equivalence Factor | Monthly Equivalent Meter Cost | Monthly Billing Cost | Monthly SAC Charge |
5/8" | 1 | $14.53 | $2.96 | $17.49 |
3/4" | 1.5 | $21.80 | $2.96 | $24.76 |
1" | 2.5 | $36.33 | $2.96 | $39.29 |
1 1/2" | 5 | $72.66 | $2.96 | $75.62 |
2" | 8 | $116.27 | $2.96 | $119.23 |
3" | 17.5 | $254.34 | $2.96 | $257.30 |
4" | 50 | $726.70 | $2.96 | $729.66 |
6" | 100 | $ 1,453.40 | $2.96 | $ 1,456.36 |
8" | 175 | $ 2,543.46 | $2.96 | $ 2,546.42 |
B. Sewer User Charge. In addition to the service availability charge, each customer shall pay a user charge of $2.96 per 1,000 gallons of water (or wastewater) consumed upon the premises and as measured by the water (or wastewater) meter in accordance with Section 98.06, for operation, maintenance and replacement of the system; and an additional $3.50 per 1,000 gallons of water (or wastewater) consumed for debt retirement.
(Ord. 2104 - Apr. 22 Supp.)
2. Surcharge. For those contributors who contribute wastewater, the strength of which is greater than normal domestic sewage, a surcharge in addition to the normal charge shall be collected.1
3. Miscellaneous Charges. Any user who discharges any toxic pollutants which cause an increase in the cost of managing the effluent or the sludge from the City’s treatment works, or any user who discharges any substances which singly or by interaction with other substances cause identifiable increases in the cost of operation, maintenance or replacement of the treatment works, shall pay for such increased costs. The charge to each such user shall be determined by the plant operating personnel and shall be approved by a resolution of the Council.
1
EDITOR'S NOTE: See Section 100.18(2) of this Code of Ordinances for surcharge fees.
Sanitary sewer service shall be provided to any customer located outside the corporate limits of the City which the City has agreed to serve at rates one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the rates provided in Section 98.07. No such customer, however, will be served unless the customer shall have signed a service contract agreeing to be bound by the ordinances, rules and regulations applying to sanitary sewer service established by the Council.
(Ord. 1720 – Apr. 12 Supp.)
All sewer user charges shall be due and payable under the same terms and conditions provided for payment of a combined service account as contained in Section 92.08 of this Code of Ordinances. Sewer service may be discontinued in accordance with the provisions contained in Section 92.09 if the combined service account becomes delinquent, and the provisions contained in Section 92.12 relating to lien notices shall also apply in the event of a delinquent account. Sewer account billing errors that are discovered by the City of Ankeny shall be rectified according to the provisions contained in Section 92.17 of the Code of Ordinances.
(Ord. 1941 - May 18 Supp.)
Except as provided for in Section 92.11 of this Code of Ordinances, the owner of the premises served and any lessee or tenant thereof shall be jointly and severally liable for sewer service charges to the premises. Sewer service charges remaining unpaid and delinquent shall constitute a lien upon the property or premises served and shall be certified by the Clerk to the County Treasurer for collection in the same manner as property taxes.
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